Moscow Imposes Sanctions On ICC Prosecutor Who Sought Putin's Arrest, Bars Entry Of 54 UK Citizens Into Russia

Russia has announced fresh sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor after he sought President Vladimir Putin's arrest.

Russian President Vladimir Putin

Russia on Friday announced fresh sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor who had sought the arrest of President Vladimir Putin. Moscow also announced sanctions on the UK ministers who opposed its invasion of Ukraine. To retaliate to the UK's "aggressive implementation of hostile anti-Russian policy", Moscow also expanded its 'stop list' while barring 54 UK citizens from entering Russia, said the Russian Foreign Ministry.

According to ANI, the list now includes UK Secretary of State for Digital, culture, media and Sport Lucy Frazer, "who is promoting Russia’s international sports isolation". Other UK nationals on the list include names of journalists from the BBC, Guardian Media Group, and the Daily Telegraph. The list also names Karim Khan, the prosecutor with the International Criminal Court (ICC), involved in issuing an arrest warrant for the Russian leadership.

The Russian Ministry said, "In response to London’s aggressive implementation of hostile anti-Russian policy involving the active use of a unilateral sanctions mechanism with regard to our citizens and domestic economic operators, a decision was made to expand Russia’s stop-list by including representatives from the UK’s political circles, power structures, professional legal community and press corps (a total of 54 individuals)."

Due to the "conditions of London’s unrelenting support for the neo-Nazi Kyiv regime," the stop list also includes the leadership of Prevail Partners, a British private military and intelligence company. Russian news agency TASS quoted the Russian foreign policy agency as stating, "According to existing data, representatives from this company have repeatedly visited Kyiv to coordinate the issues of training sabotage and reconnaissance groups for their subsequent deployment in the combat zone."

It further added that any efforts by London from now on to further spin the 'anti-Russian sanctions flywheel' will be rebuffed by Moscow. 

The Russian Ministry then emphasized that the work on expanding the Russian stop list in retaliation to the actions of the UK government will continue.